The Team Rocket trio from the alternate world moved with perfect coordination, ducking behind Wobbuffet.
"Wobbu God! Activate!"
After confirming that Musashi, Kojiro, and Meowth were safely behind it, the alternate-world Wobbuffet immediately erected a barrier, attempting to block the world-engulfing flames.
But how could something like this be so easily stopped?
"Don't struggle needlessly. Every remaining member of Team Rocket still in this world has already been eliminated by me. Just surrender."
Red's tone was completely flat.
Yet the information contained in those calm words was suffocating.
The man before them had just claimed that he'd wiped out every last one of their remaining operatives in this world.
"And who do you think you are?!"
"Just some random passing Trainer—what gives you the right to be so arrogant?!"
"Yeah! Meow~!"
Clearly, the alternate Team Rocket trio didn't take Red's words seriously at all. Their voices dripped with disdain.
Yes, Charizard's flames were ferocious—
But their Wobbuffet was just as reliable!!
Under the eruption-like torrent of fire, the alternate Wobbuffet gritted its teeth and maintained the barrier, carving out a survivable space for the trio behind it.
However—
They had overlooked one crucial detail.
Wobbuffet could endure it.
But the device strapped to Wobbuffet's body could not.
The heat waves rolled relentlessly.
The equipment on Wobbuffet began blaring alarms under the extreme temperature. Even the trio had no idea how much longer it could last.
After all, they had never encountered a situation like this before.
With their device capable of resisting spacetime turbulence, the trio had always bulldozed through opposition—unstoppable, gods and Buddhas alike falling before them.
But they had never faced a monster like Red.
Why aren't you playing by the rules?!
"Let's retreat, Meow!"
"As long as the green hills remain, there'll be firewood to burn! Besides, that Lord is still behind us!"
As the backbone of the group, alternate-world Musashi quickly weighed the pros and cons and decisively chose to retreat.
"You just wait! We'll be back!"
With that, Musashi grabbed Kojiro and Meowth and leapt into the spacetime gate behind them.
Before leaving, they threw a grappling hook onto Wobbuffet. The moment they entered the portal, they yanked it in as well.
After dropping their customary threat, their figures quickly vanished into the other side of the world.
Once they were gone—
Red lightly patted Charizard's side.
Charizard snorted and withdrew the flames from its mouth.
"Hmph."
That's it? Just average at best.
As for Red—
He turned and steadied Ash, whose body was trembling from overusing Aura Power, his breathing ragged.
If not for facing a Wobbuffet that perfectly countered him, Ash could've knocked the opponent flat with a single punch.
The problem was that Wobbuffet was absurd.
Counter had reflected his Aura Sphere outright.
Mirror Coat meant hitting it was the same as hitting himself!
After all, this was the so-called "Wobbu God."
Terrifying indeed.
When Ash saw Red's figure, he finally revealed a relieved smile.
With his big brother here, he could finally relax—just a little—and enjoy what it felt like to be the younger one.
"Big Bro Red… if you hadn't come, I might've died…"
For once, Ash showed a vulnerable side.
Fortunately, Red was the family member he trusted most. Otherwise, Ash would have forced himself to keep going.
After all, behind him were countless homes lit by lanterns—he absolutely could not fall here!
Luckily, Red had arrived in time, preventing the alternate Team Rocket's scheme from succeeding.
Not far away, the three onlookers were momentarily stunned.
Alternate-world Ash looked at Ash and Red with admiration.
Alternate-world Cynthia watched with amusement.
As for Cynthia—
She was blushing.
"Ash is so cute."
When alternate Cynthia heard that, she was completely speechless.
Sis, what kind of logic is that?!
[Elesa: To be fair, this is the first time I've seen Ash show that kind of expression. He really looked like a child needing comfort from an adult.
You know, he's always been so competitive and strong-willed. The contrast is huge—no wonder Champion Cynthia couldn't look away.]
[Diantha: I agree with Cynthia this time. Ash is really too adorable. I just want to hold him in my arms and dote on him fiercely. (Squeeze!)]
[Gary: You don't say. I already recorded that moment of Ash asking for a hug. Kid, if you dare argue with me again, I'll release the video to the public.]
[Ash: Idiot Gary, are you stupid? This is already being broadcast live to the entire world. What difference does it make if you release it?]
It was obvious—
Ash had chosen to give up struggling.
Gary's threat carried zero damage.
Simply put: weak.
[Delia: So adorable~ The last time I saw Ash act like that was when he was little. I didn't expect him to still be just as cute when he's older.
Come here, sweetheart—let Mom give you a hug~]
[Lt. Surge: "Come here, sweetheart—let Mom give you a hug~" Only someone like that would like a mama's boy like Ash. Unlike me, I'm brimming with masculine energy.]
[Sabrina: Lt. Surge, do you want to die?]
Seeing that message—
Sailing out at sea, Lt. Surge burst out laughing.
I'm already out on the ocean. What am I afraid of?
What, are you going to fall from the sky and take me out?
[Lt. Surge: I'm so scared~ Thought you'd mellowed out, Sabrina. Didn't expect you to still be this sensitive when it comes to Ash. Too bad—you can't find me~]
[Sabrina: Oh?]
For some reason—
The moment he saw those two words, Lt. Surge shuddered.
He tightened his coat as an ominous premonition crept into his heart.
Probably just the sea wind, he told himself.
But even if he could lie to others, he couldn't lie to himself.
As former undercover colleagues, he knew Sabrina's abilities all too well.
That unrestrained psychic power!
He still remembered it vividly.
"Should be fine… right?"
However—
The moment those words left his mouth, his body suddenly vanished from his ship.
The crew who had just rushed onto the deck stood there, dumbfounded.
Where did our captain go?!
Meanwhile—
In Saffron City, Kanto.
Sabrina rested her cheek on one hand, gazing down at the bewildered Lt. Surge with eyes as cold as trash.
"So. Have you decided how you'd like to die?"
...
Back in the scene—
Red patted Ash's shoulder in reassurance.
Now wasn't the time to declare victory.
The greatest crisis had yet to fully reveal itself.
At this moment, both Cynthias and the alternate Ash approached them.
Before anyone could speak, Red began explaining the questions clearly written on their faces.
After all—
All their eyes were fixed on his Charizard.
If he didn't notice that, it would be stranger.
"I know you're all anxious, but hear me out."
Even for someone as taciturn as Red, the situation couldn't be explained in just a few sentences.
Too many threads were tangled together.
Under everyone's expectant gazes, Red began recounting how he came to this world.
"It's pretty strange, actually. While I was in Sinnoh investigating the Pokémon disappearance cases, I stumbled upon a portal. At first I thought it was just some Psychic-type Pokémon playing a prank.
"But it wasn't. Mewtwo warned me. It said the portal contained the power of time and space—and that what I was investigating might be related to it."
Mewtwo?
At that word, Cynthia's interest was instantly piqued.
Not just because of Mewtwo—but because of what Red implied.
"You mean Mewtwo gave you a warning? Did it come with you?"
Red nodded, about to explain—
But Ash beat him to it.
"It's like this! My brother Red had a strange experience when he first started traveling. He ran into Team Rocket, and after a series of events, he completely crushed them.
"Later, when he found out they had a secret base somewhere, he went to check it out. That's where he encountered Mewtwo—and defeated and captured it in battle!
"Oh, and by the way! The Mewtwo he caught isn't the same one I know."
Ash enthusiastically filled in the details for his big brother.
As his words settled—
The way both Cynthias looked at Red and Ash changed even more.
Especially Cynthia.
She had personally interacted with Mewtwo and witnessed its power.
And yet—
Such a Pokémon had been captured by this red-clad boy before her.
Just how strong was he?
There was a time when Cynthia believed herself to be one of the strongest in the world.
Now—
She realized how shallow that thought had been.
"Ash is right. I did have that experience.
"But at the time, I didn't realize the Team Rocket I destroyed wasn't from our original world. Or perhaps, at some point during my journey, I had already stepped into another world.
"And that world… is this one."
Red truly never failed to shock.
Another bombshell dropped.
What could you even say?
It was absurd.
In just a few sentences, he casually summarized an outrageously glorious past.
Not human.
Whose life story is this ridiculous?!
...
In Kanto, at Viridian Gym—
Giovanni extinguished the cigar in his hand, then picked up another and lit it.
Thick smoke filled his lungs.
He, too, seemed to recall the past.
He had once traveled to another world.
There, he had acted as a mentor to his alternate self.
It was during that experience that they perfected Mewtwo's development plan together.
And witnessed the rise of that red-clad demon.
A single person—
Destroying the entire Team Rocket.
Truly terrifying.
(Author's note: Slight adjustment to Giovanni and the second Mewtwo. Minor addition; doesn't affect overall reading. Apologies!)
...
[Lance: Honestly, no tough guy in the world compares to even a strand of Red's hair. This guy is reckless to the extreme! Charging in without caring about the consequences! One man taking on all of Team Rocket? I wouldn't even dare imagine it!]
[Flint: I thought Ash was already unmatched, but there's someone even more fearless! So this is the legendary Kanto Champion? Impressive!]
[Blue: That's just how Red's always been. Causing trouble all day long, completely without a plan.]
[Leaf: And you have the nerve to talk about Red? You're not much better. Chasing girls all day and still single. Even Gary's doing better than you.]
[Gary: Exactly! Always bragging about being Kanto Champion, yet you can't even last half an hour against Big Bro Red!]
[Blue: ???]
Gary, have you lost your mind?!
I'm your cousin! And you're siding with outsiders?!
Have you no respect for your own family?!
[Alder: To be fair, even if someone had Red's strength, they might not have the courage to do what he did.
In all my years, I've only ever seen this kind of resolve once—on Red. One man challenging an entire organization… I truly can't find the words.]
Red. Unbelievable.
...
Back in the scene—
Red continued.
"After arriving in this world, something felt wrong. First, Pikachu suddenly began glowing with what looked like evolution light—but I quickly realized it wasn't evolution. It was de-evolution. So I immediately recalled it into its Poké Ball."
"My Pikachu too. It's already devolved into Pichu."
Ash's voice was heavy; mentioning Pikachu dampened his mood.
"It's alright. Once we resolve the source of the incident, Pikachu will return to normal."
Alternate Cynthia gently patted his head.
"That's right. Solve the root cause, and everything will be fixed."
"?"
Red… wasn't that just stating the obvious?
Of course, no one said it aloud.
"After recalling Pikachu, I released Mewtwo. The moment it appeared, it used a psychic ability called Future Sight.
"Through the shared vision, I saw the future.
"In that future, all the Pokémon of this world had vanished. Even the gods were bound, restrained, captured.
"And the mastermind behind it all… was my boss in this world—Giovanni.
"After I destroyed this world's Team Rocket, Giovanni secretly launched something called the 'Rainbow' Plan.
"I don't know the details. I only overheard during my assault that it was connected to a world called 'Pal.'
"They intend to bring all our Pokémon—and even the gods—into that 'Pal' world.
"To rebuild a new order there."
The amount of information was staggering.
Even alternate-world Cynthia, who already knew fragments, couldn't help but click her tongue.
"So it really is Giovanni's handiwork. I didn't expect his ambition to be this vast—trying to seize all Pokémon and gods from an entire world."
"Absolutely unforgivable!"
After hearing everything, fury surged from the depths of Ash's heart.
He couldn't accept that vision.
A world where people lost their Pokémon.
A world abandoned by its gods.
What meaning would such a world even have?
"Agreed. Giovanni's gone too far."
Red nodded.
To him, the so-called "Rainbow" Plan was nothing more than an excuse to mask his failure.
That "Pal" world? Probably just another parallel dimension like this one.
"Then what are we waiting for?! Big Bro Red, let's go stop Team Rocket's scheme!"
Ash said excitedly.
But Red simply patted his shoulder.
"Don't rush. We need a plan. Giovanni has already convinced every villainous organization in this world to cooperate in pushing the 'Rainbow' Plan."
Wait.
You stormed Team Rocket's headquarters alone before—
And now you're talking about needing a plan?
Is something wrong with me, or with you?
"Big Bro Red, then tell us! What's the plan? What do you need me to do?"
To read 30+ future chapters, head over to patreon:
patreon.com/ToastWizard